I don’t pretend to be an oracle when it comes to having the ultimate list of things to wear or the best stationery. But you’ve asked… (3 of you ) and so I sat down this morning to look through my notebooks/sketchbooks and I’ve scribbled a few ideas into my favourite piece of stationery here.

It makes dreaming on paper that little bit easier

Ah yes, the diary…. I’ll get to this later…but first I’ll share the few things I have been dreaming about finding with it. Oh and Wait…. I’m hoping you’ll share yours too. Genuinely…I’d really like to know.

So for me the things I’ve sketched initially into my diary for rounding up are…

Slim jeans…these deserve a post all to themselves to justify my love. Alison Mosshart and Lou Doillon are the quintessential pin ups here although I am gaining ground quickly… slim black jeans form the basis for almost ALL of my looks. (Alison Mosshart wears hers with Heidi Slimane men’s gold boots). I wear mine with tall statement leather pumps. They’re  pure rock’ n roll! Currently my favourite black slim jeans are coming from Balmain, MiH, Topshop and Zara.

Cashmere… (another post awaits on the virtues of the perfect v-neck).  There’s a place in Paris which does the best 100% cashmere v-necks (I think it’s the way they sit on the chest that makes them look French)… anyway I mostly buy second hand (my favourite finds are shrunken Ballantynes).

Vintage running shorts… I LOVE them. I think it’s that 70’s thing… the contours of vintage shorts against a running vest or shirt as opposed to that modern black lycra look. I imagine I’m in Charlie’s Angels (the original) chasing baddies around the park. Helps improve my time.

Really high shoes. I dream about them, there are so many to love and plenty of time to love them here and vintage bags or new ones that look vintage…it’s all about the leather and heritage and craftsmanship.

A trench… for Columbo type fashion missions and adventures. Yes Burberry…(I know, but I saw one from somewhere else last week that took my breath away).

Good nail polish. Is there anything more lovely than having nice nails to look down at when you type, write, eat??? I don’t spend much time sitting down for manicures so I’ve become quite good at my own. If you knew the amount of paint and ink that I get on my hands…. I have to change the polish every few days.

My diary…. I’ve written in the past of my great love of Liberty London, of how one of their leather covered diaries has become my birthday treat every year and people who know me will know that I’d rather one of these Barbara Wiggins notebooks than dinner of a bunch of flowers (it’s true).

My diary and sketchbooks sit apart from everything. They’re more ‘luxury stationary’ than my notebooks which I use when traveling (moleskins and Paul Smith). My leather covered notebooks and my Liberty London diary are my treats. They’re not cheap – there’s no getting around this – but they’re of such high quality and the leather smells so good I just can’t help myself loving them. And Liberty’s packaging and purple boxes are just so deluxe and wonderful. I box my diary up at the end of the year in its Liberty purple box and store it upright on my bookshelves.

Every artist, writer, and fashion designer I’ve ever sat down with lights up when you ask them to open their sketch books. There’s something very personal about the contents… a step by step visual record of each designer’s inspirations and process. One of my earliest experiences of this was sitting on the floor of Narciso Rodriguez‘s studio in New York as he talked me through his sketchbook process. I love his drawings and fluidity of his lines. He’s most creative when on holiday, sketching by the pool. BLISS!!!

So I think it’s time to turn to you now…  I’m clearly missing loads here. Do you dream on paper…. doesn’t lovely stationery make dreaming on paper that little bit easier?